Prigozhin praised Bout to the point of practically endorsing him to lead Russia. Following their meeting, Prigozhin continued expressing his ongoing disdain for Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Is the current “coup” about getting Prigozhin’s buddy Vladimir Putin to replace Shoigu with Bout? Could Prigozhin be seeing Bout as a replacement for Putin himself? Was the coup attempt planned when they met on June 13?

Here are some of the things Prigozhin had to say about Bout [emphasis added]:

“As for the Americans who released him from prison, of course, they made a big mistake, because he has such a sober attitude towards the existing situation in the Russian Federation that if he reveals his capabilities and implements his plans, then, of course, Russia will become much stronger, firmer, than there is today,” he said. “Therefore, I believe that this person can do a tremendous job for the future of Russia.”

That certainly sounds like a political endorsement to me. Prigozhin had praised Bout in December for joining the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) shortly after his return.

“Viktor Bout is not a person, he is an example of firmness. Bout will certainly be good at the head of any existing party and any movement,” Prigozhin said in a statement at the time of the move.

Did Viktor Bout and Yevgeny Prigozhin plan a coup to put Bout in power? If so, then Brittney Griner and the Biden-Harris regime played roles in what’s transpiring in Russia. This all has the CIA’s smell to it, too.

Leave your thoughts about this story on my Substack.

Hat Tip: Merissa Hansen

Reports are resurfacing that Viktor Bout, the “Merchant of Death” who was exchanged by the Biden-Harris regime for WNBA player Brittney Griner, met with Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin less than two weeks before the coup attempt.

Did Russian “Merchant of Death” — Who Was Exchanged for Brittney Griner — Plan Wagner Group’s Coup so He Could Take Power?

Update 1: (Via Mario Nawfal)

Putin Reportedly Leaves Moscow | Machine Gun Positions Around Moscow | Wagner Convoy Heads to Moscow

As the coup continues, here’s the latest updates from our various sources live on the ongoing Twitter Space:

• Worries of the Russian Nuclear Warheads moved to Belarus weeks ago
• Wagner forces continue their advance to Moscow with limited strikes by the Russian Air Force
• Reports of Putin and other officials leaving Moscow and heading to Saint Petersburg based on the movement of Military VIP aircrafts. TASS, which is Gov controlled media outlet, reported that Putin is heading to Saint Petersburg, but Putin’s Press Secretary refuted those reports. It is very unusual and rare to see such a disconnect between TASS and the Kremlin.

MY THOUGHTS:

• This is a military coup, we can no longer dispute this, and things are moving VERY rapidly and are not looking good for Putin.
• We are seeing limited military clashes, showing likely defections among Russian forces
• Almost EVERYTHING right now can’t be verified and should be taken with a grain of salt

COUP UPDATES: Putin Reportedly Leaves Moscow | Machine Gun Positions Around Moscow | Wagner Convoy Heads to Moscow

As the coup continues, here's the latest updates from our various sources live on the ongoing Twitter Space:

– Worries of the Russian Nuclear Warheads moved to… pic.twitter.com/kOI0r1LLFF

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) June 24, 2023

Original Story

Editor’s Note: Below, I discuss the official details that we’re getting from Russia about the apparent military coup attempt by the Wagner Group. But I have to wonder if all of this isn’t part of another round of distractions initiated by the Deep State to keep all attention away from the utter political carnage that SHOULD be happening in the White House but isn’t for some reason. Just a thought. Here’s the story…

The Wagner Group coup smells like a CIA operation.

— JD Rucker (@JDRucker) June 24, 2023

When things are going well for Russia, government leaks to media across the globe are plentiful and detailed. When things are going poorly, Moscow might as well be Pyongyang.

Things aren’t going well for Russia after a turn of events that wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card. The Wagner Group, led by owner Yevgeny Prigozhin, is engaged in what many are describing as a military coup against President Vladimir Putin and his government.

Here’s Putin addressing his nation followed by the English transcript:

"Any internal turmoil is a mortal threat to our statehood, to us as a nation. This is a blow to Russia and to our people. And our actions to protect the Fatherland from such a threat will be severe."

Putin gives emergency speech denouncing rebellion of Wagner mercenary group. pic.twitter.com/TfZ0fKEcQH

— Becker Clips (@NewsBecker) June 24, 2023

I appeal to the citizens of Russia, to the personnel of the Armed Forces, law enforcement agencies and special services, to the soldiers and commanders who are now fighting in their combat positions, repelling enemy attacks, doing it heroically – I know that I spoke again this night with the commanders of all appointments. I also appeal to those who, by deception or threats, were dragged into a criminal adventure, pushed onto the path of a serious crime – armed rebellion.

Russia today is waging an uphill struggle for its future, repelling the aggression of neo-Nazis and their masters. Virtually the entire military, economic, and information machine of the West is directed against us. We are fighting for the lives and security of our people, for our sovereignty and independence. For the right to be and remain Russia – a state with a thousand-year history.

This battle, when the fate of our people is being decided, requires the unity of all forces, unity, consolidation and responsibility. Everything that weakens us must be cast aside; any strife that our external enemies can and will be used to undermine us from within.

That is why the actions that split our unity are, in fact, defection from our people, from our comrades-in-arms who are now fighting at the front. This is a stab in the back of our country and our people.

It was such a blow that was inflicted on Russia in 1917, when the country was waging the First World War. But the victory was stolen from her. Intrigues, squabbles, politicking behind the backs of the army and the people turned into the greatest shock, the destruction of the army and the collapse of the state, the loss of vast territories. As a result, the tragedy of civil war.

Russians killed Russians, brothers killed brothers, and all sorts of political adventurers and foreign forces that divided the country and tore it apart extracted selfish benefits. We will not let this happen again. We will protect both our people and our statehood from any threats. Including – from internal betrayal.

And what we are facing is precisely betrayal. Exorbitant ambitions and personal interests led to betrayal. To betrayal of their country, and their people, and the cause for which, side by side with our other units and subunits, the fighters and commanders of the Wagner Group fought and died.

The heroes who liberated Soledar and Artyomovsk, the cities and towns of Donbass, fought and gave their lives for Novorossiya, for the unity of the Russian world. Their name and glory were also betrayed by those who are trying to organize a rebellion, pushing the country towards anarchy and fratricide. To defeat, in the end, and surrender.

I repeat, any internal turmoil is a mortal threat to our statehood, to us as a nation. This is a blow to Russia, to our people. And our actions to protect the Fatherland from such a threat will be severe. All those who deliberately embarked on the path of betrayal, who prepared an armed rebellion, embarked on the path of blackmail and terrorist methods, will be inevitably punished, will answer both before the law and before our people.

The Armed Forces and other state bodies have received the necessary orders, and additional anti-terrorist measures are being introduced in Moscow, the Moscow Region and a number of other regions. Decisive action will also be taken to stabilize the situation in Rostov-on-Don. It remains complex, in fact, the work of civil and military authorities is blocked.

As President of Russia and Supreme Commander-in-Chief, as a citizen of Russia, I will do everything to defend the country, protect the constitutional order, lives, security and freedom of citizens.

Those who organized and prepared a military rebellion, who took up arms against their comrades-in-arms, betrayed Russia. And they will answer for it. And I urge those who are trying to be drawn into this crime not to make a fatal and tragic, unique mistake, to make the only right choice – to stop participating in criminal actions.

I believe that we will preserve and defend what is dear and sacred to us, and together with our Motherland we will overcome any trials, we will become even stronger.

Before his speech, Putin fired back. According to Kyle Becker:

Putin’s speech preceded reported air strikes and armed attacks on Wagner forces outside of Voronezh, which is on the road north to Moscow from Rostov-on-Don, where Wagner forces earlier had seized control of Southern Military District headquarters.

There have been reports of tensions between Prigozhin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu over a lack of equipment and ammunition supplied to the private paramilitary group. Now, it appears Prigozhin is in control of the headquarters for Russia’s war efforts against Ukraine.

Prigozhin issued his first public address from the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, a city with a population of 1.1 million, which Wagner PMC now fully control.
English subtitles. pic.twitter.com/SDg4astcaY

— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) June 24, 2023

Wagner Group Leader Yevgeny Prigozhin Arrives in Rostov-on-Don Amidst Tensions with Russian Defense Ministry

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, made an announcement on Saturday morning confirming his arrival in Rostov-on-Don, a city housing the Russian military headquarters overseeing the conflict in Ukraine. Prigozhin, who had previously called for an armed rebellion to remove Russia’s defense minister, took to social media to share a video where he claimed that his forces had gained control of military installations in Rostov-on-Don, including the airfield. Additional videos circulating on social media depicted military vehicles and tanks present on the city streets.

The manner in which Prigozhin entered the city, despite the heightened security measures implemented after his initial threat, as well as the exact number of troops accompanying him, remains unclear at this time.

Although the Wagner Group has played a significant role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Prigozhin has been engaged in a dispute with the defense ministry, accusing Russian military officials of depriving his troops of necessary weaponry and ammunition. In a series of agitated video and audio recordings released on Friday, Prigozhin directly implicated Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in ordering a rocket strike on the private military contractor’s field camps, where the group has been operating on behalf of Russia in Ukraine.

Prigozhin explicitly declared that his actions were not intended as a military coup but rather as a march for justice, aiming to put an end to what he perceives as the malevolence embodied by the country’s military leadership. Referring to Shoigu as “scum,” Prigozhin vowed to halt his actions.

According to the state news agency Taas, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee, a division of the Federal Security Services, will initiate a criminal investigation into Prigozhin on charges of inciting an armed rebellion. The report further indicates that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been kept informed of the situation.

Moscow on High Alert

The response from Moscow suggests a serious consideration of the threat posed by Prigozhin. The National Guard and riot police have been deployed to safeguard critical facilities in the capital, including transportation infrastructure and government agencies, according to Taas.

According to Headline USA:

Heavy military trucks and armored vehicles were seen in several parts of central Moscow early Saturday, and soldiers toting assault rifles were deployed outside the main building of the Defense Ministry. The area around the presidential administration near Red Square was blocked, snarling traffic.

But even with the heightened military presence, downtown bars and restaurants were filled with customers. At one club near the headquarters of the FSB, people were dancing in the street near the entrance.

Bad News for Putin

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has struggled to maintain the ironclad control over his nation that he has enjoyed for decades. Critics were swift and often challenging to silence.

This development with the Wagner Group marks the first full-blown challenge to his authority. For Putin, it could mean the end of his reign whether the coup is successful or not. Challenges like these are seen as weakness in Russia. The fact that someone went against the government in such dramatic fashion could be enough to force Putin out.

Ironically, this could be the beginning of the end of the war in Ukraine, which means it’s bad news for President Volodymyr Zelensky. This would be the premature ending of his globalist grift, propelling them into the “rebuilding” phase of his mission ahead of schedule.

This story is developing and will be updated as more information is available.